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Work & Family Mailbox

Columnist Sue Shellenbarger answers readers' questions

By

Sue Shellenbarger

February 1, 2012

Q: On my job, I often have to deal with irate or abrasive customers. I don't like confrontations, and my body responds just as you described in your recent column on stress: My heart speeds up, my hands get extremely cold and my mind goes blank. How can I stay calm and think on my feet?

— J.W., Boston

A:Try not to take customers' attitudes and behavior personally, says Kate Hays, a Toronto psychologist specializing in sports and performance psychology. "Their comments are not...